Ramon Berrios, Co-Founder, SociallyRich

The truth is that when I first began I didn’t even know there was a terminology for this spark I had within me to hustle and create my own future. To me, entrepreneurship is to not only to monetize something of value to others but to endure it and make it “stay alive”.

While still a student at the University of Tampa and a complete stranger to what the definition of entrepreneurship was, Ramon moved back to his home in Puerto Rico to assess where he was in his life. As his friends were gearing up for their last year of college, Ramon was packing his bags to head home and put college on hold with only one year left.

“While the economy was crashing and everyone was leaving the island I could not help myself to see opportunity instead of seeing it as a misfortune.”

With his eyes set on building himself as an entrepreneur, Ramon started a swimwear company which ending up leading him to the launch of his new business, SociallyRich with Co-founder, Emmanuel Tartak.

Ramon being interviewed at NGS 2016

HatchPad: What does SociallyRich do?

Ramon Berrios: We optimize Instagram accounts in the most targeted way possible by automating activity. We gain companies, influencers, and startups followers within their target market. We partner with social media agencies, consultants, and e-course teachers. SociallyRich allows our clients to outsource the incredibly time-consuming activity of growing their Instagram following so they can focus on what they do best, content. Our partnerships include people like Liz Benny, founder of Insta Social Secrets and partner of clickfunnels.com and we will be featured on jeffbullas.com who is one of the world’s top digital marketers.

HP: How did you come up with SociallyRich?

Socially Rich homepage

RB: I came up with SociallyRich when I started my first swimwear company with no money. My marketing campaign was solely based on Instagram. I did anything I could to grow my presence on that channel. I spent so much time on Instagram I could barely stand opening other apps because I was just so tired of being on my phone all day trying to grow my following on Instagram. I would like pictures while I ate, and would fall asleep doing so.

That’s when I had to find a way to automate this and I finally did when I found a service that could do this for me. I couldn’t believe all the free time I now had which I could use for product quality and many other things for growth. Shortly after, my Instagram started growing by the thousands and that’s when the AHA! moment struck. I imagined a service that would do just this but had no confusing dashboard to interact with. You would just submit your hashtags and usernames of competitors and our service would automate all your activity in the most targeted way possible while you focus on the content of your account.

HP: How are you competing with other companies who are trying to help users build their following as well? Who are some of your competitors?

RB: Instagress is our largest competitor. However, Instagress offers a very confusing dashboard for people that don’t have the time or don’t understand how much activity an account can make given its age and size. Since we understand this process we decided to facilitate the process from A to Z.

HP: How are you making money with SociallyRich?

RB:Customers pay us a monthly recurring subscription of $29.99. Most customers use more than one account. Our average customer has 3-5 accounts with us.

HP: What does being an entrepreneur mean to you and why do you want to be one?

RB: Hunger, and the realization that my goals and the impact I want to make in this world are too large for a what a college degree can deliver.

To me, entrepreneurship is not only to monetize something of value to others but to endure it and make it “stay alive”. Many can create something, but that’s only half the battle. The real grind comes along when your business starts growing, that’s when you have to make tons of decisions on a daily basis that if made incorrectly could kill or shift your business in a completely different direction than what you first had envisioned. I never intended to be an entrepreneur nor did it for the perks that come along with it. I did it because it was in me and I had no way of running away from it. It certainly isn’t like all the glamor going around about the term entrepreneur. But, it does have its perks as the freedom to do whatever I want when I want, travel to wherever I want to without permission and control my finances in my own way. And of course, the community of entrepreneurs is so supportive, it really is unlike any other community. I don’t know where I would be without some of my mentors from The Next Gen Summit.

Ramon Berrios and Justin Lafazan at NGS 2016

HP: What would you tell other young entrepreneurs like yourself as they build their company?

RB: Only you can see your vision and recognize your path; therefore, never make a decision based on someone else’s opinion. Also to teach yourself the things that you are doing for your company. Do not just allow other people to do the work for yourself, learn from them and help them create your vision. I wouldn’t have learned all the things I had if I relied solely on everyone around me. From graphic design to hours and hours of reading and listening to podcast to prevent trial and error.

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About the Author: Heather Holst-Knudsen

Heather L Holst-Knudsen, a New York City area native and now resident of Sarasota, FL, is the CEO & Founder of KidBacker and HatchPad.
A passionate entrepreneur, Heather has founded and led multiple business units for large organizations. She is founder and former President of Manufacturing Enterprise Communications, a B2B media platform that connects CXOs in manufacturing with senior level leaders in technology around the world. Manufacturing Enterprise Communications was sold to Frost & Sullivan in August 2012. Prior to Manufacturing Enterprise Communications, Heather was founder and President of Managing Automation Media and TechMatch Solutions, all divisions of Thomas Publishing Company in New York City.
Heather is a trusted advisor to many top manufacturing and technology organizations including Cisco, AT&T, Google, SAP, Oracle, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Ford, L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and more. She has 25 years of B2B media experience, is a veteran digital media expert, and has been in a C-level leadership role for over 20 years. She has won multiple awards for innovation in media.
Heather believes in and respects the imagination, creativity, and fearlessness that young business minds bring to the table and is passionate about unleashing their entrepreneurial skills and spirit so they can own their own destiny. Holst-Knudsen has an SBLL from Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
Heather also is Chairman of the Board and Founder of KidBacker Foundation for Entrepreneurship, a new 501c3 that will award seed grants and scholarships to young entrepreneurs to help fund their education and their businesses.